SIGMA’S 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN is, without doubt, one of the most attractive standard zooms available for APS-C mirrorless cameras. It provides a unique combination of impressive optical quality, large maximum aperture, compact size, and affordable price. Crucially, it doesn’t dwarf the small bodies that it’s most likely to be used on, either.
This does, however, come with certain compromises, most obviously the lack of optical stabilisation. Unless you use a Sony A6500 or A6600, this means you have to keep shutter speeds high to avoid blur from camera shake, which can in turn mean hiking your ISOs at the cost of image noise. The 18mm wide end is also a little limited compared to the competition. So the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 remains the most versatile E-mount option if you…